Top 4 Misconceptions about Cookie Deprecation

Ever since Google announced that it’d be joining the list of browsers ditching third-party cookies, there have been various speculations and misunderstandings in the digital marketing space. 

And why wouldn’t there be? 

Cookie deprecation is a HUGE change for advertisers who rely on third-party data to inform their decisions about the target market and create marketing campaigns. The news has been perceived differently by different businesses, and so those looking for the ultimate truth have been led astray by the sea of information available online.

This article will bust all misconceptions about cookie deprecation so you can prepare for the cookieless world with full clarity and confidence.   

4 Misconceptions about Cookie Deprecation You Need to Know 

Below are the biggest misconceptions about cookie deprecation keeping you from protecting your marketing agendas and overall business sustainability. 

1. It’s the End of User Tracking 

There’s a myth going around that third-party deprecation is the end of user tracking. But that’s simply not true! 

Despite the heavy reliance of marketers on third-party cookies for tracking user behaviour, they’re NOT the only technology that allows you to monitor user activity with precision. There’ve always been and will be plenty of ways to track website visitors even when third-party tools are no longer available.

Some of these technologies include:

• Web SQL
• Local Storage
• IndexedDB

Besides, first-party cookies will still work by default in all browsers, delivering valuable insights into user behaviour with their consent. 

Google’s decision to phase out third-party cookies is a part of its plan to introduce a privacy sandbox with open and consented tracking standards. Some standards and technologies (like trust tokens) will promote user tracking and improve the accuracy of user reidentification.  

So, while you may face trouble tracking users without third-party cookies, it’ll still be possible.

2. It’s Tomorrow’s Problem 

After hearing about Chrome’s extended support for third-party cookies, people have started considering cookie deprecation as tomorrow’s problem. 

“It’s not happening until the end of 2023. We’ve got plenty of time.” 

No. You don’t.

You probably think this way because you don’t realize how much time and effort will go into the transition. Several changes will be involved to ensure your marketing plan is solid enough to prevent potential ad revenue loss. And we need not tell you that organizational change takes time. 

You’ve probably been relying on third-party cookies for years, if not decades – you can’t just migrate your services overnight. Besides, Google delayed the deprecation to buy you more time to prepare for the challenges and changes ahead. 

The clock is ticking, and from where we sit, you’ve already wasted quite a few months. Preparation for the cookieless world must start today if you don’t want your business to lag.     

3. It’s Only Going to Impact Tracking 

This is one of the biggest misconceptions about cookie deprecation.  

Many advertisers underestimate the internal change they must undergo to cope with the challenges of third-party cookie deprecation. 

You, too, may think you’ll only have to deal with cookie tracking for marketing purposes becoming more difficult. But that’s far from the truth.  

Cookie deprecation will also herald an internal change for your organization as it moves towards compliance with GDPR. Everything will have to change from your data collection approach to how you organize, communicate, and leverage data. In other words, some of the core processes of your business will need to be modified to overcome the challenges of cookieless advertising.  

4. It’ll Take One Tool to Solve All Problems

Many advertisers are aware of the potential impact of third-party deprecation on the digital marketing landscape, but they don’t realize that there isn’t going to be a replacement tool or technology solution to solve their problems. 

They like to believe that Google or somebody will develop a magic bullet to fill the gap that third-party cookies leave behind. As satisfying as it sounds, nothing of the sort is going to happen. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem. Each company will have to experiment with different technologies and strategies to see what works best for them and their users. 

More importantly, how advertisers and their business models adapt to the changes will determine the company’s potential to succeed in the cookieless world. Technology will surely play an important part, but it’s not the entire solution.

Gain Clarity on the Challenges and Opportunities Brought by Third-Party Cookie Deprecation With Napkyn

Like everyone else, you may have known for a while now that third-party cookies will soon be deprecated. 

But have you been slow to take action, believing that this change won’t happen for another year?

While Google has certainly announced a delay in cookie deprecation, it doesn’t mean you should push this issue to the back of your mind. 

This change will significantly impact your ad performance and how users interact with your advertising campaigns. If you thought any of the misconceptions about cookie deprecation discussed above were true, it’s time to change your thinking and adopt a proactive approach to achieve cookie independence. 

Each day you spend doing nothing to migrate your services or look for alternative solutions for cookieless advertising, you let your competitors get ahead of you. 

We urge you to begin preparing today for the upcoming changes to how cookies are used online. Now is your chance to future-proof your business and impress your target audience with highly personalized ads in a privacy-first manner!

Get in touch with our experts to discuss how you can unlock competitive advantages by tapping into modern data analytics solutions for cookieless advertising.